Free Web NovelChapter 109: At the Mountain Peaks
Towering mountain peaks encircled the sprawling training grounds, providing an unobstructed view of the dirt rings below. Dozens of cultivators observed the first-year students from various elevations.
A strict hierarchy dictated their placements along the carved stone balconies. Down on the dirt rings, instructors-in-training and trial instructors managed the initial sparring evaluations.
Higher up on the mountain ridges stood the elder instructors and senior instructors. They supervised the curriculum alongside the pavilion instructor leaders who managed specific weapon disciplines like the sword, spear, and halberd.
At the very summit sat the highest pavilion masters. These veteran leaders occupied carved stone thrones and remained mute. They ignored the casual conversations happening below them.
They simply watched the thousands of teenagers, analyzing their footwork and evaluating their movements to find anyone possessing genuine martial skill.
Bai leaned over the wooden railing of the mid-level observation deck. He watched a first-year student trip over a practice sword and fall into the dirt.
"This year’s batch is also a disappointment," Bai stated. He picked up a porcelain teacup from a nearby table. "Look at their grips. They hold the hilts like they are gripping fragile glass cups."
Lin stood beside him and tracked a group of struggling mages. As a senior instructor, he frequently compared the incoming classes. "A few decades ago, the new generations used to be better and more talented than the previous ones. The younger cultivators constantly pushed the boundaries of martial arts. For the last few decades, the newer generation seems weaker and less skilled."
A pavilion instructor leader named Shen joined the conversation. He oversaw the halberd division and tapped his wooden staff against the floorboards. "Civilization has come to a halt. The overall skill level is rapidly decreasing across the realms. Only the ones hailing from royal and noble bloodlines are rising and maintaining the standards."
"The commoners rely too much on their awakened abilities," Shen added. "They ignore physical conditioning until they face a real evaluation. The trial instructors down in the lower rings are having an easy time today because none of these kids pose a challenge."
Taking a sip of his tea, Bai placed the cup back on the table. "They expect the system to hand them victories. We will have to break that mindset."
Shen uncrossed his arms and picked up a wooden training spear from a nearby rack. He twirled the weapon between his fingers. "The instructors down in the lower rings are having an easy time today. None of these kids pose a challenge."
While Bai, Lin, and Shen discussed the failing standards, Wu and Jin remained mute. The two men sat atop elevated stone thrones at the very back of the pavilion. They rested their chins on their knuckles.
Wu kept his gaze locked on the sparring rings below. He tracked the movements of the few students who actually managed to hold their ground.
Jin occasionally tapped an index finger against his armrest, analyzing the shifting stances and evaluating the martial foundations of the newcomers. They searched the sea of teenagers for anyone possessing genuine potential.
The group of elder and senior instructors continued discussing the failing standards of the modern era. They pointed out flawed stances and criticized the reliance on talents rather than skills.
Bai leaned over the carved wooden railing of the observation deck. He watched a few students across the sprawling training grounds execute proper stances. "We have a handful of acceptable disciples this year. Those specific children actually focus on their foundation instead of relying entirely on their awakened talents."
Lin nodded and pointed toward the eastern ring. "Look at Elder Liang. He appears quite agitated right now."
The instructors on the peak shifted their attention down to the dirt rings. A silver-haired boy stood perfectly still with an enormous executioner’s sword resting casually against his collarbone.
"The boy is ignoring the sparring mandate," Shen noted, gripping his wooden training spear. "He carries the weapon from the outside world into a basic evaluation and refuses to fight the other students. He probably comes from a pampered noble family and expects special treatment."
The group watched a blue-robed instructor leap into the ring.
"That is Zhao Feng," Bai said, furrowing his brow. "Why would Liang summon an instructor-in-training to evaluate a first-year novice?"
"Liang probably wants to teach the arrogant child a lesson," Lin suggested with a smirk.
The evaluation spar commenced. The figures in the distance clashed. A moment later, Zhao Feng’s curved steel saber launched into the sky. Another instructor on the ground sprinted forward and snatched the spinning blade before it could strike the onlookers.
Silence swept over the observation deck. Shen dropped his wooden spear. The weapon clattered against the wooden floorboards.
"Did he trip?" Shen asked, leaning further over the railing. "The boy must have gotten lucky. A fluke."
"There are no flukes in martial combat," a resonant voice stated from the back of the pavilion. frёeωebɳovel.com
Master Wu remained seated on his elevated stone throne. The head of the Sword Pavilion kept his gaze locked on the silver-haired student.
"If that had been an actual battle to the death, Zhao Feng would have lost his head along with his weapon," Wu explained, tapping a single finger against his armrest. He turned his attention to the man sitting in the adjacent throne. "Leader Jin. Pull up the academy registry. I want the details on that specific student." fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
Leader Jin swiped a hand over his glowing crystal tablet. Lines of text populated the screen.
"His name is Solomon, a commoner," Jin read aloud. "He awakened an SSS-rank talent called Convergence."
"Are you considering taking him as a personal disciple?" Jin asked, dismissing the holographic projection.
"Who knows," Wu replied, watching Solomon walk toward the perimeter of the dirt ring. "There are still several other trials left to complete today. We will see if he maintains this standard."
Shen crossed his arms and scoffed. "If you take an unregistered novice as your personal student, the noble families will flood the sect with formal complaints. The boy just performed a standard vertical chop and a horizontal sweep. Anyone can swing a sword in a straight line."
Jin shook his head and placed his tablet on a nearby table. "You lack the vision to see the truth, Shen. The attacks looked ordinary to an untrained eye. The execution was flawless."
The pavilion leader stood up and walked toward the railing. "His center of gravity never shifted. The energy transfer from his boots to his wrists occurred without a single millimeter of wasted movement. Even a veteran cultivator struggles to achieve that level of physical perfection. Achieving that kind of flawless muscle memory requires decades of continuous training."
Jin looked back at the other instructors. "That boy is barely eighteen years old. His very existence defies logic."
